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Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
In a step toward new types of particle physics experiments, scientists cooled and then accelerated a beam of muons. The subatomic particles, heavy cousins of electrons, could be accelerated and slammed together at future particle colliders in hopes of unlocking physics secrets. But first, scientists have to figure out how to give muons a speed boost.
Counterintuitively, that means first slowing muons down. Muons in particle beams initially go every which way. To make a beam suitable for experiments, the particles need to be first slowed and then reaccelerated, all in the same direction. This slowing, or cooling, was first demonstrated in 2020 (SN: 2/5/20).
[...] The scientists first sent the muons into an aerogel, a lightweight material that slowed the muons and created muonium, an atomlike combination of a positively charged muon and a negatively charged electron. Next, a laser stripped away the electrons, leaving behind cooled muons that electromagnetic fields then accelerated.
Muon colliders could generate higher energy collisions than machines that smash protons, which are themselves made up of smaller particles called quarks. Each proton’s energy is divvied up among its quarks, meaning only part of the energy goes into the collision. Muons have no smaller bits inside. And they’re preferable to electrons, which lose energy as they circle an accelerator. Muons aren’t as affected by that issue thanks to their larger mass.
S. Aritome et al. Acceleration of positive muons by a radio-frequency cavity. arXiv:2410.11367. Submitted October 15, 2024.
(Score: 1) by shrewdsheep on Monday November 18 2024, @12:42PM (1 child)
I thought muons had a negative charge. TFA/TFS mentions positive muons. Would they be anti-muons really? Which process produces anti-muons?
Also where can I buy muonium?
Please send your beam of enlightenment.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by PiMuNu on Monday November 18 2024, @06:22PM
At these masses (energies) no one really talks about muons and anti-muons - the distinction as to which is matter is a bit arbitrary and only exists by analogy with electrons. People talk about positively and negatively charged muons.
> Which process produces anti-muons?
The way to make muons:
1. Protons hit a target and explode nuclei to make pions and other stuff
2. Pions decay radioactively to make muons and other stuff (half life 20-30 ns)
Roughly speaking, you get about an equal fraction of positively to negatively charged pions at step 1. The protons typically have enough energy that they will create several pairs of positively and negatively charged pions from the explosion energy (so the initial charge state doesn't really matter much).
It's a messy process which is why there's a fancy technique to reduce the mess of the muon beam (TFA).
> Also where can I buy muonium?
That's what these guys just made. I'm sure there will be some publications on it somewhere.